Liesl and I have decided to partner up for our 1 Year Blogiversary Giveaway. We happened to start our blogs around the same time in March of last year and our paths crossed on a Facebook group shortly after we started. It has been so nice having a kindred spirit throughout this experience. I feel like every blogger needs someone who they can trust to share triumphs and struggles and I have found that in Liesl. Sure; I have my husband, but how much can he pretend that he knows or cares about nail polish blogging? I'm sure he is happy that I have Liesl too:) It's crazy how you can be so close to someone that you have never met in person. Please don't ever minimize a friendship with someone you connect with online. We are lucky to have a variety of relationships in our lives from personal, to work, to people we meet online and I think they are all valuable. Perhaps some day Liesl and I will meet - now wouldn't that be cool??

It has been a great year and I have met so many other women (in addition to Liesl) that I truly call friends. I think that relationships with other bloggers play a big part in the joy of blogging. It's not very often that a group of women can get along so well and be so supportive...and we have nail polish to thank for it. I would like to thank everyone who has supported me throughout this experience and I am excited to meet some new readers. I love comments and reply to every single one, so comment away! Good luck:)

Message from Liesl at Liesl Loves Pretty Things

Hi hi! The single best thing about blogging has been the friendships I've cultivated along the way. I was fortunate to meet a sweet and like-minded blogger named Essie at the very beginning, a gal who started doing her thing, as it happens, just days before I started mine. We clicked almost instantly and if you've been reading for any length of time, you probably know the rest is history. ;) Our blogs are a year old this week and we've decided to team up and give you all a joint giveaway in celebration of friendship.

Aside from the fact that we've never actually met yet I feel like I've known her forever, it is a wonderful thing to have such a good friend in this crazy blogosphere-- someone you can get excited for and be excited with, who genuinely celebrates your successes and supports your endeavors, who empathizes and talks you down during those moments of stress and self doubt, someone who is just plain fun to have on your side. Essie is all these things to me.

Es, you said at one point that you think we started doing this at the same time for a reason and I think you're right ♥ Love you, friend ♥

But enough mushy stuff. We've teamed up to give one of our fabulous readers (who make this experience ALL the better and richer) a $50 gift card to one of four places-- Llarowe, Ninja Polish, Ulta, or Sephora (personally, I'd take Ulta, lolol... well, maybe Sephora... ahh, the beauty of choices!).

Be sure to read the specs, thanks for playing, welcome new readers, and good luck! ;)

Dear both, congrats to your First anniversary!!! I am very happy for the two of you to have found each other!!! I think you both are wonderful people and I have come to like you dearly - you have enriched and inspired me tremendously (this part is ongoing) and I cross my fingers for you that you will meet in person one day!!! Thank you for the give away xxx to both of you

Thank you so much for being such a great friend to us. I know I speak for Liesl too when I say we have loved getting to know you and consider you a very close friend:) You and Liesl are "sisters" right? ;) Thanks for your kind words.

Congrats to you both on your first year! You are incredibly lucky to have each other. I often wish I had a blogger bbf who I could confide in. Though my husband is a good sport and listens to me, he doesn't really understand the joys and toils of blogging lol. Thank you so much for the chance to participate in this AMAZING giveaway! <3

I know what you mean about your husband. I try not to go on and on to mine because he really doesn't get the importance of it. It really is a lot of work and sometimes you need someone that has been through it. Feel free to contact either of us at any time. I'm sitting at my computer all day at work so I am free to email! I have enjoyed getting to know you as much as I have already and hope to talk more in the future:)

I really enjoy reading both of your blogs, this is so cool. I have enjoyed the experience of getting to know both of you online, you both always make me smile : D You are really too kind to have this giveaway!

Thank you! I have enjoyed getting to know you as well. You are so supportive and kind and I love that you take the time to leave such nice comments. I look forward to getting to know you better in the future:)

I already followed both of your blogs previous to the giveaway, & your both great bloggers & congrats to both you! This is a very heart warming story too! While I don't blog, I am pretty active in the NP community, & I've talked to & met a few ladies...but I hope that sometime in the future I can be as lucky as the 2 of you to find a real friend & confident in the online world of polish, esp since I don't have any friends or even acquaintances irl who share my passion & joy of nails & polish! So congrats for that, bc that's even more of a treasure blogging ;-)